Caesars said the measure opens the door to its new Horseshoe Casino in the city.

The Horseshoe brand is Caesars' vision of a gamblers paradise. It's billed as the home of the best odds, highest limits and biggest jackpots. The Horseshoe brand is offered in six markets, including Cleveland.

John Payne, the president of Enterprise Shared Services with Caesars, and Chad Barnhill, the general manager of Caesar's Baltimore Casino, said the new Horseshoe Casino will deliver patrons a legendary experience in terms of service and dining.

"It is a legendary brand coming to a legendary city. It's focused on delivering incredible service with a touch of elegance," Payne said.

Officials said they also plan to build a World Series of Poker room that will be part of the World Series of Poker tournament.

Because table games are now part of the equation, discussions regarding the mix of slots are still under way.

Caesars is also on a scouting mission to entice local, regional or national chefs to set up shop at the Horseshoe Casino. The mission includes hotel partners, as well.

"Chad, as he's ready to relocate here to Baltimore, is staying in every hotel in town to see who wants to be a partner," Payne said.

While casino operators are thrilled, its neighbors are worried. State law requires the mayor to create a local development council. The 15-member panel will represent communities around the casino.

"We don't know what's happening. We don't know how this is going to affect our community. No one has communicated with us," said Melanie Ambridge, of the South Baltimore Neighborhood Association.

The council's responsibilities include being in the loop during the development phase of the casino, the transportation plan and how the millions in local impact aid will be spent.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for the city to grow, but we really need community input so we are not affected in a negative way," Ambridge said.

In an email exchange with the South Baltimore Neighborhood Association, the Rawlings-Blake administration said the mayor will appoint local development council members at the end of the year.

While the building itself, which was originally under the Harrah's brand, will remain the same size, significant changes will be made inside, including $25 million in additional investment, more than 100 table games and an increase in the number of hires to 1,700.

"We pride ourselves on service. We hire the best people -- hire the right people. We hire the people that live and breathe Baltimore," Barnhill said.

The mayor's office released the following statement late Thursday afternoon:

"Today's announcement by Caesars Entertainment, coming on the heels of the passage of Question 7, is great news for Baltimore. The addition of table games allows Caesars to build a larger and more exciting casino in the city, which will result in creating hundreds of more good-paying jobs for area residents and a greater capital investment in our downtown. A larger, more competitive facility only strengthens Baltimore’s opportunities to create jobs, fund education and reduce property taxes for city homeowners."

Caesars said it wants to begin construction on its Horseshoe Casino next year just south of M&T Bank Stadium. It is still working out the design of a parking garage and a traffic-flow plan with the city. The target opening date is 2014.

Copyright 2012 byWBALTV.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.